EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Graduate Program
in
PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Student Handbook
FALL 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Numerical Parameters Crucial to the MPA Degree
1. APPLICATION, ADMISSION, AND COUNSELING
1.1 Application
1.2 Admission
1.21 Admission Based on Undergraduate Academic Performance
1.22 Admission Based on Another Master’s Degree
1.23 Admission Based on Work Experience
1.24 English Language Requirement
1.3 Counseling
2. STUDENT FINANCIAL AID
2.1 Graduate Research Assistantships
2.2 Graduate Work-Study
2.3 Scholarships
2.4 Student Loans
2.5 Employer Based Support Programs
2.6 Travel Grants-In-Aid
2.7 Other Sources
3. BASIC CURRICULUM
3.1 Overview
3.2 Background Requirements
3.3 Core Courses
3.4 Specializations
3.5 Electives
3.6 Research Project
3.7 MPA Portfolio
3.8 Candidacy and Oral Exam
4. SPECIAL COURSEWORK OPPORTUNITIES
4.1 Special Course Topics
4.2 Short Courses and Workshops
4.3 Directed/Independent Study
4.4 Internships
5. DUAL DEGREES
5.1 MPA/MBA
5.2 MPA/MSW
5.3 MPA/MURP
6. OTHER PROGRAMS OF STUDY
6.1 Certificate Programs
6.11 Public Management Development Certificates
6.12 Health Services Administration Certificate.
6.13 Advanced Standing MPA Program
7. PROBATION, TERMINATION, AND OTHER UNPLEASANT CIRCUMSTANCES
7.1 Time Limits
7.2 Incompletes
7.3 Low Grades
7.4 Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty
7.5 Probation
7.6 Dismissal
7.7 Appeals Procedure
8. PROGRAM FACULTY
8.1 Full-time Faculty
8.2 Adjunct Faculty
8.3 Student Evaluation of Faculty
8.4 Minimum Expectations for Course Organization
9. ADDITIONAL POLICIES AND REGULATIONS
9.1 Grading
9.11 Writing Quality
9.12 Attendance
9.2 Grade Point Average Calculation
9.3 Student Awards
9.31 Honors Graduate
9.32 Oral Exam Distinction
9.33 GPPA Honor Students
9.4 Credit for Courses
9.41 Time Limits
9.42 Transfer Credits
9.43 Preadmission Credits
9.5 Job Announcements and Placements
9.6 Staff Assistance to Students
9.7 Course Load
9.8 Standards for Papers
9.81 Style Manual
9.82 Faculty-specific Requirements
9.83 Incidental Costs
9.9 Use of University Resources
APPENDICES
(A) Special Course Approval/Registration Form
(B) Guide to PADM601 Research Project, PADM602 MPA Portfolio
and MPA Comprehensive Exam
(C) Travel Grants Forms
(D) Application for Degree Candidacy Form
(E) Graduate Application for Graduate Degree
(F) Terminal Research Approval Form
Numerical Parameters Crucial to the MPA Degree
MAXIMUM CREDITS BEFORE ADMISSION
Whether previously earned credits are from courses in the program, from another EWU program, or from another university, the maximum that a student may bring into the program upon admission is 12. (Dual degree students have an exception to this rule, being allowed to bring in all applicable credits from the other half of the dual degree.)
BACKGROUND COURSES TIME LIMIT
Background courses taken more than seven years prior to the date of admission will not normally be accepted.
COMPLETION OF DEGREE TIME LIMIT
EWU regulations allow six years between beginning coursework and completing a master's degree program. Six years is the time limit for dual degree programs also.
FILING FOR CANDIDACY
Students should file for candidacy after completing at least 15 credits. Students are required to file for candidacy prior to completing 30 credits.
INTERNSHIP
Normally an internship should be arranged after finishing at least 20 credits. Internships are not required for the completion of the MPA, but they are recommended for students who have not had significant public sector experience.
FILING FOR GRADUATION
You need to file the Graduate Application for Graduate Degree Form (see Appendix E) by the second Friday of the quarter before the quarter of expected degree completion. So for spring graduation, applications are due in mid-January. Students graduating in a summer quarter who wish to have their names included in that year's commencement bulletin must apply by the deadline for spring quarter.
BEGINNING WORK ON THE PADM601 RESEARCH PROJECT
AND PADM602 MPA PORTFOLIO
Students should begin work on their PADM 601 Research Project at least one quarter prior to the quarter in which they plan to take their oral exam. (See section 3.6 for further advice regarding successful completion of this project.)
SCHEDULING THE COMPREHENSIVE ORAL EXAM
Early in the quarter in which the student plans to take the oral exam, s/he may tentatively schedule a time and place for the oral exam. Please call the departmental secrtary to schedule a room. All three members of the committee must agree to the arrangements. The date is not final until the Terminal Research Approval Form is filed (see Appendix F). EWU regulations require 10 working days between completion of the form and the oral exam.
1.0 APPLICATION, ADMISSION, AND COUNSELING
1.1 Application
In order to apply for admission to the MPA program, one must fill out EWU's graduate application form and submit the additional materials required by the Graduate Program in Public Administration's (GPPA). The EWU Graduate Studies Office collects a $50.00 application fee. No additional fee is charged for application to GPPA. (See below for additional requirements for international students.)
The additional materials required by GPPA should be sent directly to the office on the Riverpoint Campus and they are:
1) Three letters of recommendation;
2) A current resume; and
3) A short "career plan" essay or application letter.
1.2 Admission
Based on the standards described below, students are admitted upon the recommendation of the director of GPPA. The director's recommendation will be sent to the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Research. That official will then notify the student, in writing, of his/her admission or rejection.
Applicants may seek admission on the basis of:
1) their bachelor’s degree work,
2) completion of another master’s degree, or
3) their work experience (if they can demonstrate at least 10 years of progressive responsibility in a related profession).
Admission procedures and requirements are the same for the MPA degree and the certificate programs.
1.21 Admission Based on Undergraduate Academic Performance
Students who have completed a bachelor’s degree at an appropriately accredited institution are admitted to the Graduate Program in Public Administration based on the following criteria:
1. Cumulative GPA in the last 90 quarter credits of at least 3.0 (or its equivalent as computed by the Graduate Program Office); or
2. Recommendation of the director based upon a successful appeal by the student. (This appeals process will be utilized only for students who do not have an undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.)
Students seeking to utilize this appeals process must directly request reconsideration by the director. In considering that request the director will review such information as: 1) a biographical sketch or resume listing previous experience; 2) letters of recommendation; 3) a combined verbal, quantitative, and analytical GRE score of at least 1500; 4) a GMAT score of at least 500; and/or 5) successful completion of up to 12 credits in GPPA courses with a minimum GPA in those courses of at least 3.3.
1.22 Admission Based on Another Master’s Degree
A student may be admitted to GPPA with proof of possession of another valid Master’s degree.
1.23 Admission Based on Work Experience
Applicants with at least ten years of increasingly responsible professional experience public administration can be offered regular admission. Admission is based on the following:
1. Evidence of having obtained a bachelor’s degree from an appropriately accredited institution.
2. An essay demonstrating critical thinking skills.
3. A Statement of Intent demonstrating a level of knowledge and intellectual maturity appropriate to the proposed field of graduate study.
4. Evidence of professional success in public administration.
1.24 Additional Requirements for International Student Admissions
In addition to application for admission to graduate studies and the application fee, international applicants are required to submit a course-bycourse credential evaluation through World Education Services (WES) or another credential evaluation service recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at www.naces.org. The WES application and forms are available at www.wes.org. Graduates of accredited U.S. universities are not required to submit a credential evaluation. One copy of official university transcripts or postsecondary academic records must also be sent directly to Graduate Studies, 206 Showalter Hall, Cheney, WA 99004-2444. International applicants who have already had a credential evaluation completed by WES or another credential service need to have an official copy of that evaluation sent to Eastern, along with a copy of their university transcripts.
All students from countries where English is not the native language must provide evidence of adequate proficiency in the English language before being admitted to graduate study. This requirement may be satisfied by presenting a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of at least 580 on the paper-based test (PBT), 237 on the computer-based test (CBT), 92 on the Internet-based test (iBT) or its equivalent. A student with a TOEFL score of 550-579 PBT, 213-233 CBT or 79-91 iBT may be admitted conditionally. In such cases, registration for classes is conditional upon having a program of English language study approved by the foreign student advisor. A student with conditional admission will be granted full admission upon presentation of a new TOEFL score (or equivalent) of at least 580 PBT, 237 CBT or 92 iBT or upon the recommendation of the director of the Teaching English as a Second Language Program. Students with TOEFL scores of 525-549 PBT, 197-210 CBT or 71-78 iBT may be admitted to the University as post-baccalaureate students and may take up to 12 pre-admission credits to be counted toward a graduate degree with the recommendation of the program.
Please note: International students who have earned an undergraduate degree from an accredited post-secondary institution in the U.S. are not required to submit a TOEFL score as part of their applications.
Alternative to TOEFL admission requirements: Applicants from countries where English is not the native language who are otherwise admissible to graduate studies may, with the written approval of the individual program, be admitted upon successful completion of a prescribed program of appropriate content course work and English Language Institute (ELI) course work. Said course work will be agreed upon in advance by both the program and ELI. Successful completion is defined by the individual program for the content courses and by ELI in the advanced language level by achieving linguistic proficiency with a “good” rating on the ELI scale (fair/good/excellent). Up to 12 quarter credits of content-level course work may be applied to the appropriate graduate program with the program’s written approval.
Note: This policy is not to be construed as replacing the evaluation of an
applicant by the director of the TESL program for students who submit a TOEFL
of 550–579, nor should it be construed as a policy on conditional admission to
Graduate Studies.
All students from non-English speaking countries must provide evidence of proficiency in the English language before being admitted to the GPPA. This requirement may be satisfied by presenting a TOEFL score of 580 or its equivalent. A student with a TOEFL score of between 500 and 580 may be admitted conditionally. In such cases, registration for classes is conditional upon having a program of English language study approved by the director in consultation with the international student advisor.
Students with TOEFL scores of less than 550 may be admitted to the University as post-baccalaureate students (non-degree program). As post-baccalaureate students they may register for classes and demonstrate their ability to do the work required of MPA students. They should be aware of the EWU regulation on “Previous Graduate Credit” which permits no more than 12 pre-admission credits to be counted towards a master’s degree (see EWU Undergraduate & Graduate Catalogue 2009-10, p. 37). The director of GPPA will determine whether they should be granted admission to the program based upon their work as post-baccalaureate students.
1.3 Counseling
It is the student's responsibility to arrange an appointment and to secure counseling and program advice when needed. In the final analysis, the student is responsible for his/her own decisions and actions regarding coursework, meeting requirements and deadlines, and advancement toward the MPA degree.
The program director serves as the formal advisor. Students may seek informal advice from any of the faculty.
At the initial meeting with the formal advisor, a plan of study should be developed indicating:
a) the student's plans in relation to full or part-time study;
b) planned coursework;
c) any background requirement deficiencies; and
d) (if appropriate) intended area of specialization.
Students may meet with the advisor periodically to review performance, to obtain registration advice, and to revise the plan of study.
Students who are not doing well in their classes or who are receiving an excessive number of incomplete grades may be counseled as to these deficiencies and notified of the possibility of termination from the program. (See Section 7.2.)
2.0 STUDENT FINANCIAL AID
2.1 Graduate Research Assistantships
Applications for Graduate Research Assistantships should be made through the GPPA no later than the June 15 preceding the academic year for which the student is applying.
Graduate Research Assistantships are limited in number and are dependent upon available university funding; therefore, all applicants must also complete an EWU financial aid application. (Please do this as soon as you think you may be interested in applying for an assistantship). The value of the award changes over the years and may include either a tuition waiver, or a stipend, or both. Contact the program office regarding availability and potential value of awards.
A Graduate Research Assistantship obligates its recipient to work 20 hours per week. It is not a scholarship or a fellowship. Usually research assistants are asked to assist faculty members in their research, administrative and/or service obligations.
Graduate Research Assistants are required to enroll on a full-time basis (10 or more credits per quarter) for the entire academic year of the award. The assistantships run Fall through Spring Quarters of the academic year for which they are awarded.
Selection from among the applicants is made by the faculty and is based upon academic qualifications and indications of capability for assisting faculty and/or program administrators. Applicants selected by the faculty must be approved
by the Dean of the Graduate School. Notification of the awards will come from the Dean’s Office. The director can answer questions regarding availability of these assistantships.